Makerspace Newsletter

Makerspace Update: May 2026

Joseph Minnich

01 May 2026 — 18 min read

Makerspace Update: May 2026

Note From Joseph

Hi Friends,

I’m fresh back from a week in San Francisco at the Exploratorium’s Art of Tinkering workshop, and my brain is buzzing! I spent the week with makers and educators from around the world diving into how we can better cultivate environments for self-expression and project-based learning. It was an incredible experience, and I’m already dreaming up ways to put these learnings into action during our upcoming mobile deployments.

Speaking of being "out in the wild"… our mobile makerspace has been making the rounds at the local high schools for some hands-on tinkering. It was also a treat to see so many of you at our booth at Earth Day! A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hi, especially the newsletter subscribers I met for the first time.

Behind the scenes, we’ve hit a major milestone: we’ve officially passed our drawings over to the engineers for final infrastructure planning. This puts us just one step away from permits and construction!

Looking ahead, we’ve got a jam-packed schedule for May that you'll want to keep on your radar. We’ll be at STEM Discovery Night (5/8 from 5:30 – 8 PM at STMS) with a few science exhibits for all ages to explore. You can also find us at the Tahoe Economic Summit at the Tahoe Blue Event Center (5/7), where we’ll be speaking on a panel about the Atrium and how we plan to connect hands-on student learning, workforce pathways, and Tahoe’s emerging circular wood economy. And of course, we have more high school class integrations on the way!

Thanks for sticking with us and being part of the journey.

New Arrivals

The collection is growing…

Pin-Back Button Press

Creating custom pin-back buttons is simple. Draw or print a design, punch it out and press it together.

P-Tex Base Repair Tool

The glue gun for skiers! Fix your bases by filling in rock strikes.

Brother SE700

The sewing and embroidery powerhouse. Turn digital art into real stitches.

Eraser Block Printing at Mt. Tallac!

We rolled up to Mt. Tallac High School with linoleum cutters, ink pads, and erasers to practice the art of block printing! The process is simple: carve a design into the rubber, ink it up, and stamp it onto an index card. I loved seeing the range of techniques and how they led to such a wide variety of outcomes. We had everything from repeating geometric patterns to mini landscapes. It was all around a total blast!

Construction Update: Schematics Complete!

Big news: our architects have officially handed the reins over to the engineering team. They’re currently "under the hood" finalizing vital system requirements - everything from electrical capacity to plumbing and HVAC.

I know it might look quiet from the outside right now, but we are crossing a major hurdle. Once the engineers wrap up, we move straight into permitting. Consider this the calm before the build. While we’re currently in a bit of a "waiting game", this is the last time the project timeline will be out of our hands. The moment those permits land, the ball is back in our court and it is full speed ahead until we open our doors this Fall!

We can’t wait to continue pulling back the curtain on the design details. Stay tuned!

Our Mission

Think big and make a difference in South Lake Tahoe through innovative programs in our core operating pillars: FEED, READ, and LEAD. Learn more here.